WASHINGTON -- Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday in pressuring President Donald Trump's administration to surrender records of former national security adviser Michael Flynn's payments and contacts with foreign officials during the past three years.
In a sign of deepening interest among congressional investigators, leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee asked for materials on Flynn's communications and payments from Russian, Turkish and other foreign sources since Flynn retired as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in August 2014.
The request came as a Flynn spokesman said the retired general during his time as national security adviser filled out all of his security clearance paperwork but did not sign a mandatory ethics pledge.
Also sought by the committee chairman, GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, and the top Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, is any available material on Flynn's security clearance, which would have been required to allow him access to highly classified government documents and information.
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The two congressmen made the requests in letters to White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, FBI Director James Comey, Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats.
Trump fired Flynn last month for misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other top administration officials about Flynn's postelection conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States.
The committee's move is significant because of the bipartisan front and the effort to gain broad information about Flynn's foreign-related work and communications for an extended period before Trump appointed him in January. Chaffetz and Cummings cooperated on a February inquiry that led to revelations last week that Flynn had been paid more than $33,000 by Russia's government-backed television network.
Cummings said the goal is to learn whether Flynn "was untruthful on his security clearance forms, his vetting materials, and in other documents -- conduct that could carry a criminal penalty -- and we want to know what the White House knew when they hired him as national security adviser."
The committee also wants to determine whether Flynn violated the constitutional prohibition against foreign payments to former military officials who could be called back into service.
The FBI has interviewed Flynn about his Russia contacts as part of its inquiry into meetings, phone calls and electronic contacts last year between Trump campaign aides and Russian officials and others representing Russian interests.
The letters also ask for any "investigative and adjudicative" files concerning Flynn's security clearance. The lawmakers want to see "documents referring or relating to Lt. Gen. Flynn's contact with foreign nationals," including any direct or indirect contacts between Flynn "and foreign government officials, representatives, affiliates, or agents."
Price Floyd, a spokesman for Flynn, said Flynn met the disclosure requirement for national security adviser. "Everything that was supposed to be included was included," Floyd said.
Information for this article was contributed by Julie Bykowicz of The Associated Press.
A Section on 03/23/2017